1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to motorized harvesters with crop conditioner means, and more particularly to a harvester-supported ultra-low flow forage applicator that provides forage preservatives to forage during harvester operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
The way forage is harvested and stored determines how well the quality of the crop is preserved. Large quantities of water must be passively removed from cut forage during field-curing of hay. For each ton of 12, percent moisture hay produced, approximately 1.7, and 2.2, tons of water is removed from the fresh herbage of grasses and legumes, respectively. Grain silage may likewise be treated and preserved often times at higher moisture contents.
Preservatives applied at harvest will reduce storage losses from molds, bacteria, and fungi when the forage is put up at higher moisture contents. There are many types of forage preservatives with various effects. The various products can be grouped, for exemplary purposes, into the five following categories: organic chemicals, inorganic chemicals, biologicals, nutrients, and non-specified additive ingredients.
Of these five categories, biological preservatives are of the most interest with regard to the present invention. Biological preservatives may be comprised of either or both bacterial inoculants and enzymes. Bacterial inoculants such as lactobacilli and pediococcus have been proven to be safe and non-toxic while delivering improved dry matter retention, improved protein retention, stability and animal acceptance, while remaining cost-effective. Inoculation of forage material with desirable acid-producing bacteria helps to initiate a rapid fermentation and sustain a rapid fall in pH of silage. In forage this effect is known to reduce the harmful effects of mold and yeast. In crops that are wilted, and water-soluble carbohydrates are not a problem, research has shown that the use of lactic acid bacteria is a cost-effective means of improving fermentation. Lactic acid bacteria produce both acetate and lactate under low oxygen conditions, which inhibits yeast. The pH level drops quickly, viable counts of yeast and mold are reduced, and the resulting product is very stable.
Enzymes, which for exemplary purposes only and not limiting thereto may comprise cellulose and amylose, have also been proven to be safe and non-toxic while delivering improved dry matter retention, improved protein retention, stability and animal acceptance, while remaining cost-effective. These enzymes promote plant cell breakdown and render the cellulose and starch more accessible to desirable bacteria.
A variety of biological compositions suitable for forage applications are commercially available, and are illustrated for exemplary purposes in U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,494, to King and European published application EP 0 834 259, to Moran, each assigned to Ecosyl and incorporated herein by reference in entirety for their content and teachings. In spite of the existence and availability of these commercial products, the microbiological compositions are known to be very sensitive. They may be destroyed by sudden pressure changes, are very sensitive to temperature and pH, and can readily clog in smaller cross-sectional flow paths.
Forage preservative applicators have been in use for years. Conventional preservative applicators are comprised of a relatively large tank (25, to 100+ gallons), a pressure pump fluidly connected to the tank, pressure gauges and regulators fluidly connected to the pressure pump, and spray nozzles fluidly connected to the pressure pump for dispersing the preservative. These commercial applicators were designed to apply chemical preservatives rather than biological preservatives.
When using a conventional forage preservative applicator to apply a biological preservative, several problems are encountered. With conventional preservative applicators, the reservoirs often times exceed 50, gallons. In contrast to most chemical preservatives, biological preservatives generally have a short window of time within which they may be prepared and applied, meaning too large a batch will result in substantial losses of preservative. Since the cost of biological preservatives is high, this is very undesirable. In addition, the high volume of application used for chemical preservatives is not well suited to the extremely low volumes used with biological preservatives. The high volumes are generally also associated with high pressure pumps. This increased pressure can damage or kill the bacteria in an inoculant. Consequently, while these devices may be suitable for chemical application, they are not suitable for efficiently and accurately providing biological forage preservatives to forage during harvesting.
More recent applicators have been developed that are much more suitable for use with biological preservatives. One such system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,369, by the present inventor, the contents and teachings which are incorporated herein by reference in entirety. That system provides improved application over those of the prior art, but relies upon close user supervision, accurate prediction of crop characteristics, and proper system maintenance. While such system works well for conscientious operators, the present invention seeks to offer the same and additional benefits, while reducing the requirements placed upon the operator.
In addition to the aforementioned patents, Webster's New Universal Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition copyright 1983, is incorporated herein by reference in entirety for the definitions of words and terms used herein.